The Republicans want to roll back Obama’s new HHS rule that employer health plans have to cover contraception, because the Catholic church is complaining that Catholic hospitals and universities would have to cover birth control in their insurance plans.

The problem for Charlie Dent is that free contraception enjoys huge support from constituencies that he will need to win to keep his seat in 2012.

But when the conversation moves away from abortion to contraceptives – as it has this week – the intensity gap flips: A much larger segment of voters are willing to penalize a legislator who votes to defund family planning. That became apparent in polling that Democratic firm Lake Research Partners did earlier this year, which found that 40 percent of voters would be less likely to support a member of Congress who votes to defund family-planning programs. Just 22 percent would be more likely to support such a lawmaker.

If Mr. Dent votes to take away their free contraception, this seems likely to be a big liability for him with moderate swing voters. It will also be a good opening for Jackson Eaton to remind these voters about Charlie Dent’s crappy overall record on women’s health and equality issues.

Comments

Wouldnt having more access to contraception cost the taxpayers less in the long run ? Less teen pregnancy would result in less tax payer money needed for finaincial aid for medical. foodstamps, WIC, welfare etc not to mention less risk of sexually transmitted diseases and dont give me that abstance only crap that hasnt ever been effective ask Bristol Palin at the end of the day were just animals and it is hardwired in our DNA to have sexual relations not to mention an emotinal need for physical intamacy.

Yeah, I think this is a win from both a policy and a political optics point of view (though my guess would be that in this election year, the policy benefits are probably secondary in the President’s mind). This isn’t about forcing Catholics onto the pill; they can continue to have as many babies as God gives them. It’s about employees at Catholic hospitals and universities receiving equal health care coverage. And far fewer people equate contraception with abortion than use contraception.

I wonder what the benefits are like for people who work in Christian Science Reading Rooms? Are only prayers covered?

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